Paper feeding machine



Aug. 19, 1958 D. c. BECK PAPER FEEDING MACHINE Filed fan. 5, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. 17mm? 6' .BECK,

AT TORNE'Ys- 1958 n. c. BECK 2,848,219

PAPER FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3. 1957 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EadINVENTOR. J4 v10 C BEG/r,

' ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 2,848,219 PAPER FEEDING MACHINE David C. Beck,Sidney, Ohio, assignor to The Liberty Folder Company, Sidney, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application January 3, 1957, Serial No. 632,374

1 Claim. (Cl. 270-68) this being highly advantageous in that it permitsconstruction of a relatively inexpensive folding machine whereby variousfolding operations heretofore considered impractical to attain in arelatively inexpensive machine, may be readily effected merely byrearrangement of the folding units.

Another object of the invention is to provide 'a folding machine asabove set forth comprising a plurality of folding units and whereinindividual electrical drive motors are employed for driving successiveunits, this arrangement being economically advantageous in thatexpensive construction involving various mechanical driving elements isobviated, and providing an arrangement in which one of the units may becontinued in operation while the other unit may be shut down formomentary adjusting or cleaning.

Another object of the invention is to'provide a folding machine as aboveset forth and wherein the said individual drive motors comprise variablespeed electrical motors, this being advantageous in that operatingspeeds of successive folding units may be varied as deemed desirable foroptimum folding results.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding machine as aboveset forth, comprising successive folding units having individualelectrical drive motors and wherein the said drive motors are energizedthrough flexible electrical cables connected to a common control box,this being advantageous in that during rearrangement of the foldingunits minimum manipulation of parts is required.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding machine asabove set forth comprising successive folding units rearrangeablyretained in cooperative relation by virtue of novel bracket elements.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled-in the art upon an understanding of the following specification,taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention andwherein my improved machine is arranged for imparting a plurality ofparallel folds to work-pieces passing therethrough.

Figure 2 is a semi-diagrammatic sectional view taken along the line 22of Figure 1 and showing certain bracket elements.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a folded work piece havinga plurality of parallel folds.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view illustrating apreferred arrangement of driving elements.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing my improved machineas adapted for imparting to the work pieces a plurality of parallelfolds followed by a plurality of right angle folds.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the bracket elementsas employed during the adaptation of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a workpiece having parallelfolds and right angle folds. With reference to the exemplary machineillustrated throughout the drawings, my invention employs conventionalparts or conventional assemblies of parts, so well known in the art thatprecise detailed descriptions thereof are deemed unnecessary for a fulland complete understandingof my invention, and to avoid undue prolixityof this specification will not be described in full detail, it beingunderstood that various substitutions and deviations of the structureshown and herein described, will readily occur to those skilled in theart without departing from the principle of my invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

Thus, with reference now to Figure 1 of the drawings,

my improved machine comprises a conventional hopper 10 from whichworkpieces are singly withdrawn by a feed wheel 11 to be advanced bysuitable conveying means, herein shown as a belt 12 having conventionaland coacting side guide means 13 serving to advance and direct theworkpieces into the bite of rolls 14 and 15 (Figure 4) which rolls arejournale'd between the side plates 16 and 17 of the machine. 7 I I As iswell known in the art,the rolls 1'4 arid 15 advance the leading end ofeach workpiece 18 into a conventional buckling plate or pocket indicatedat 19 in the drawings. Thus each of the workpieces 18 is caused tobuckle as at 18a whereuponthe buckled portion 18a is engaged between therolls 15 and 20 which effectively crease the buckled portion 18a anddrives thisthe'n leading end 18b of the workpiece into a second bucklingpocket indicated at 21. As the folded and creased end 18b of theworkpiece strikes the bottom of the .pocket 21 a new line of buckling iscaused to develop and this buckled portion, together with the formerlyfolded portions of the workpiece, is engaged by the rolls 20 and 22which effectively crease the line of fold 18c and advance the workpieceto the position indicated at 18d.

The workpiece emerging from the rolls 2t} and 22 will comprise twoparallel creases or lines of fold and as it is discharged from the saidfolding and creasing rolls each workpiece will be received upon aconventional and second advancing means herein shown as comprising aplurality of slightly diagonally disposed conveyor rollers 23, whichcoact with a suitable side guide indicated at 24 to advance and directeach workpiece into engagement with a series of rolls 25, 26, 27 and 28mounted between the'side plates 30 and 31 of the machine and adapted tocoact with buckling pockets 32 and 33, each of which, in coaction withthe rolls, serves to impart an additional parallel line of fold to theworkpieces.

Thus with reference to Fgure 4 'of the drawings, a workpiece 34 emergingfrom the buckling plates 32 and 33 will pass between the rolls 27 and 28and will comprise fonr parallel lines of fold as illustrated in Figure 3of the drawings wherein the workpiece 34 has parallel lines of fold 35,36, 37 and 38. Workpieces thus folded and emerging from between therolls 27 and 28 are received by a stacking device generally indicated at39 and comprising driven belts 40 and 41 which discharge the workpiecesonto a receiving platform or the like 42.

In accordance with the concepts of my invention the machine ischaracterized by a sectional arrangement of parts whereby the firstdescribed folding apparatus, including the hopper 10 and the sequence ofelements up to and including the discharge rolls 20 and 22, comprise afirst folding unit which, in accordance with my invention, has beenmounted and arranged upon a common frame generally indicated at 43,which is formed with side plates 44 and 45 (Figure 2) joined by suitablespacing members (not shown) and has legs 46, 47, 48 and 49, reinforcedby cross members generally indicated at 50 and by diagonal bracesgenerally indicated at 51.

Also in accordance with the concepts of my invention, the secondlydescribed folding apparatus including the conveyor rollers 23 and thedescribed sequence of parts up to and including the receiving platform42, comprise a second folding unit which in accordance with my inventionhas been mounted and arranged upon a common frame generally indicated at52, which is formed with side plates 53 and 54 (Figure 2) joined bysuitable spacing elements generally indicated at 55 and has legs 56, 57,58 and 59 reinforced by cross members generally indicated at 60 and bydiagonal braces generally indicated at 61. At their lower ends the legs56 through 59 are provided with casters generally indicated at 61a,which casters facilitate rearrangement of the units as will later bemore clear.

Referring to Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings, a variable speed electricmotor 62 has a sprocket 63 which drives chain 64 running over a largersprocket 65 fixed on a shaft 66 upon which is also mounted a sprocket 67driving a chain 68 running over a larger sprocket 69 fixed on the shaft70 which mounts the feed wheel 11. The motor 62 also has a sprocket 71which drives a chain 72 running over a larger sprocket 73 mounted on ashaft 74 which also may serve as a driving roll for the conveyor belt12. While not shown in the drawings, it will be obvious that the shaft74 and the rolls 14, 15, 20 and 22 may comprise a train of spur gearsserving to drive the rolls 14, 15, 20 and 22 as required. Thus the motor62 provides driving power for the mechanism of the first folding unit.Energization of the motor 62 and consequently the operating speed of thefirst folding unit is accomplished by means well known in the art andcontrolled by an actuating knob 75 which as shown in Figure 1, isconveniently mounted upon the frame of the first folding unit.

A second variable speed electric motor 76 has a sprocket 77 which driveschain 78 running over a larger sprocket 79 fixed on a shaft 80 whichshaft may also serve as a driving roll for a belt 81 serving to drivethe assembly of conveyor rolls 23. While not shown in the drawings, itwill be obvious that the shaft 86 together with the rolls 25, 26, 27 and28 may comprise a train of spur gears serving to drive the rolls 25, 26,27 and 28 as required. Energization of the motor 76 and consequently theoperating speed of the second folding unit is controlled by an actuatingknob 82, which for convenience is mounted alongside the actuating knob75 as shown in Figure 1, a flexible cable 83 being employed forsupplying current to the motor 76.

With reference now to Figures 1 and 2, the frames 43 t and 52 aredetachably retained in rectilinear relation by means of thumb screws 85and 86, the screw 85 extending through a perforation 87 provided in theside plate 44 of the frame 43 to engage a threaded perforation 88,formed in the side plate 53 of the frame 52 to clamp the parts together.The thumb screw 86 extends through a perforation 89 provided in a plate90 to engage a threaded perforation 91 provided in the side plate 54 ofthe frame 52, the plate 90 being hingedly attached as at 92 to the sideplate 45 of the frame 43. The side plate 53 of the frame 52 mounts anangle bracket 93 having a threaded perforation 94. Upon removal of thethumbscrews and 86 the frames 43 and 52 may be rearranged to the rightangled relation illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, whereupon the thumbscrew85 again extending through the perforation 87, now engages the threadedperforation 94 of the bracket 93, and the thumbscrew 86 again extendingthrough the perforation 89 now engages the threaded perforation 88, theplate having been turned about its pivoted attachment 92, to retain theframes in right angled relation.

Thus merely by use of the thumbscrews 85 and 86 the units may berearranged in right angled relation whereby both parallel folds andfolds at right angles thereto will be imparted to the workpieces. Thusthe workpiece 95 (Figure 6) has parallel folds 96 and 97 and right anglefolds 98 and 99.

It will now be apparent that my invention provides a relativelyinexpensive arrangement of parts whereby folding operations andadvantages heretofore considered impractical to attain in a relativelyinexpensive machine may be readily effected and that variousmodifications of the embodiment known and described will readily occurto those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of myinvention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a paper folding machine a first frame mounting a first folding unitcomprising conveying means, a series of folding and creasing rolls andan electrical motor including driving elements arranged to drive saidconveying means and said series of folding and creasing rolls, a secondframe mounting a second folding unit comprising second conveying means,a second series of folding and creasing rolls, and a second electricalmotor including driving elements arranged to drive said second conveyingmeans and said second series of folding and creasing rolls, said firstframe and said second frame comprising supporting members of differentelevations whereby workpieces emerging from the said first mentionedseries of folding and creasing rolls are deposited on the said secondconveying means, said first frame and said second frame also comprisingbracket members adapted to retain the said frames in rectilinearalignment whereby parallel folds only will be imparted to workpieces,said bracket members also being adapted to selectively retain the saidframes in right angled relation whereby both parallel folds and folds atright angles thereto will be imparted to workpieces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS893,629 Johnson July 21, 1908 1,725,309 Spiess Aug. 20, 1929 2,058,877Hitchcock Oct. 27, 1936 2,120,714 Scott June 14, 1938 2,523,028 Hortonet a1 June 24, 1947

